releases: https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=bc4b6aaf-1997-4b6c-84b9-d58c483cccd0
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=bc4b6aaf-1997-4b6c-84b9-d58c483cccd0 | McCAIN, REID, KING & MEEKS CALL ON PRESIDENT OBAMA TO ISSUE POSTHUMOUS PARDON FOR JACK JOHNSON | 2015-12-10 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | House | AZ | John McCain | M000303 | www.mccain.senate.gov | legacy | Washington, D.C. U.S. Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Harry Reid (D-NV) and Representatives Peter King (R-NY) and Gregory Meeks (D-NY) sent a letter to President Obama today calling on him to finally issue a posthumous pardon of boxing legend John Arthur Jack Johnson, the first African-American heavyweight boxing champion, who was unjustly convicted in 1913. Johnsons career and reputation were ruined after he was charged with transporting a white woman across state lines in violation of theMann Act. Today, President Obama signed legislation into law that includes a resolution offered by the Members calling for the President to finally right this historical wrong by delivering a posthumous pardon of Johnson. As this law makes clear, a pardon would expunge this racially-motivated abuse of authority from our nations criminal justice history and affirm Jack Johnsons athletic and cultural contributions to our society, write Senators McCain and Reid, and Representatives King and Meeks. And, as acknowledged in a recent New York Times column, in a nation that promotes itself as the land of the free, there are few things more important thancorrecting injustices like the imprisonment of Johnson. Since you were sworn in as President, you have granted a total of 64 presidential pardons. We urge you to include Jack Johnson among pardon petitions to be granted. Jack Johnson was born in Galveston, Texas on March 31, 1878 and in 1908, he became the first African-American World Heavyweight Boxing Champion after defeating Tommy Burns in Australia a title Johnson held until 1915. Prompted by his success in the boxing ring and his relationship with a Caucasian woman, Jack Johnson was wrongly convicted under the Mann Act when he brought the woman he was dating across state lines. The intent of the Mann Act was to prevent human trafficking of women for the purpose of prostitution. However, this racially-motivated 1913 conviction imprisoned Jack Johnson for a year. The conviction ruined his career and destroyed his reputation. American Presidents have issued posthumous pardons in the past. In 1999, President Clinton pardoned Henry O. Flipper, the first African-American to graduate from West Point and first African-American officer to lead the Buffalo Soldiers of the 10thCavalry Regiment during the Civil War, who was later dismissed from the Army for racially charged allegations. In 2008, President Bush pardoned Charles Winters, an American volunteer in the Arab-Israeli War who was convicted of violating the U.S. Neutrality Acts in 1949 after he helped to transfer two B-17 Flying Fortresses in an effort to aid the Jewish peoples effort to establish the state of Israel. The letter is below and here. December 10, 2015 The Honorable Barack Obama President of the United States The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear President Obama, We write to bring to your attention a provision of the Every Student Succeeds Act, signed into law today, which includes calling for the posthumous pardon of John Arthur "Jack" Johnson, a boxing great and the first African-American Heavyweight Boxing Champion. As you know, Mr. Johnsons reputation was unfairly marred for over a hundred years by an unjust and racially-motivated conviction under the Mann Act, for transporting his white girlfriend across state lines. An identical resolution was unanimously approved by both the House and the Senate in the 111th Congress, the first time since 1974 that both chambers passed a concurrent resolution calling for a posthumous pardon of an individual. Additionally, this resolution passed the House in the 110th Congress and passed the Senate in the 108th and 113th Congresses. As this law makes clear, a pardon would expunge this racially-motivated abuse of authority from our nations criminal justice history and affirm Jack Johnsons athletic and cultural contributions to our society. And, as acknowledged in a recent New York Times column, in a nation that promotes itself as the land of the free, there are few things more important thancorrecting injustices like the imprisonment of Johnson. While we understand that posthumous presidential pardons are rare, we know they are neither unique nor lacking precedent; both Presidents Bush and Clinton issued posthumous pardons when they believed it was appropriate. Since you were sworn in as President, you have granted a total of 64 presidential pardons. We urge you to include Jack Johnson among pardon petitions to be granted. Sincerely, John McCain Harry Reid Peter King Gregory Meeks ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |